What kind of prisoner are you?

Acts 16:16-24  (in summary)

Paul and Silas had been to a prayer meeting in Philippi, where Lydia became a believer.  A slave-girl followed them for many days, saying, “These men are bondservants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” (verse 17).  They commanded the demon to come out of her, and it did.  Outraged, her masters incited the people against Paul and Silas, who were then thrown into prison.

Acts 16:25-31

But about midnight Paul and Silas were  praying and singing hymns of praise to God and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were unfastened.

And when the jailer had been roused out of sleep and had seen the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.”

But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!’  And he called for lights and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And

they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved, and your household.”

In this story:

     A slave-girl, owned by masters- she had several owners;  a virtual prisoner.

o   More than one human master; enslaved because of demonic possession

o   And how many women today are sex slaves to pimps; slaves to their drug habits?  And how many men are sex slaves- enslaved to their passions? All in need of the liberating gospel

™ She was possessed by a demon, who supposedly gave her the ability to tell fortunes

™ This demon, however, could not lie about the Most High God

™ Two men who were bond-servants of the Most High God- Paul & Silas

o   Are we slaves to sin or to righteousness? (Romans 6:16)

™ This demon could not stand against Jesus. The slave girl was freed.

Midnight

o   Utter darkness in an already completely dark prison

™ Prayers and songs in the night

™ The prisoners were listening

o   Never underestimate the power of prayer and song; anywhere, at any time, for anyone to hear, (a hospital room, a park bench, a prison, a coffee shop)

™ The jailer was asleep. 

o   He didn’t hear the praying and the singing – he really missed out

o   Are there times when I’m asleep instead of hearing what God has to say to me?

™ An earth quake. 

o   I’m always reminded of the earthquake that shook the earth as Jesus was dying(Matt. 27:51) and the one when He rose again. (Matt.28:2)

o   Talk about shaking up your world!

™ Escapees.  But the prisoners didn’t run away.  The Roman jailer literally had to guard the prisoners with his life or it was forfeit if they escaped. 

™ And the jailer wanted to believe. 

o   Needed to believe. Did believe. 

One would have thought it was the prisoners that would have been saved- the obvious ones in need; or the slave girl.  No- it was the jailer.  He was as imprisoned in his sin as the ones whom he guarded.  And two of the prisoners, Paul and Silas, were the least imprisoned of all.  They were free in Christ.  Ah- the ironies of Scripture are sometimes so delicious.  God puts His fingerprint on everything! 

So pray for the ‘obvious ones’ - your family members who have gone astray; your loved ones who appear to have no regard for the gospel.  But don’t be surprised when Jesus saves the ‘good one.’  That was me, as compared to my formerly drug-addicted brother who is now a pastor.  That was me – the one who loved seniors and volunteered in other countries and wanted to do good for others.  I am so thankful that Jesus set me free from my prison of self-righteousness.    Am I perfect?  No.   Am I freely forgiven  in Christ?  Yes- a slave to righteousness, rather than to sin.

 Mark 8:37 says: 

 ‘What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world but lose his own soul?